Electrical Trade Union Workers Hold Meeting

October 12, 2018

[Written by Don Burgess]

ESTU members met at lunchtime today [Oct 12] at the BIU headquarters to hear what progress had made in regard to their concerns with the Ascendant Group.

Donald Lottimore, president of the Electrical Supply Trade Union [ESTU], told Bernews there were more than a half-dozen issues that needed to be ironed out with BELCO management.

Last week issues arose after BELCO’s parent company Ascendant Group announced the “departure” of four senior executives — Denton Williams, Michael Daniel, Carol Ross-DeSilva & Zehena Davis — saying that “two have resigned and two positions were made redundant.”

The four executives, combined, had been with the company for over 80 years, and they marked the second group of employees to leave the company recently, with three staff members having been made redundant last month.

The ESTU then decided on a work to rule for its members as it brought its concerns to Ascendant.

“The meeting today was to update our membership on where we are with the ongoing discussions with the Ascendant Group Board,” Mr Lottimore said. “We are being steadfast in that their wishes are being pursued by this executive that they elected.”

Mr Lottimore added the ETSU members were also reminded about adhering to all the laws and the work to rule. “We are making sure we do our responsibility, and our due diligence to make sure our membership is protected going forward whether it is with the company and their programme for what BELCO is going to look like and how it is going to be staffed.”

The ETSU president said the Ascendant Group have made overtures to the union and they are keeping the dialogue open and moving between the two parties.

“There are seven or eight issues, and we’re making sure that all of them are on the table for discussion so we can have an open and frank dialogue,” Mr Lottimore said. “We can come to a resolution on the majority of them, for it’s in the best interest of Bermuda.”

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Comments (7)

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  1. puzzled says:

    Wait as we watch the prelims of Wind energy.

    Oh bouy the sheet will hit the fans in 10 years.

  2. wahoo says:

    Time to realize that companies are making business decisions based upon the harsh realities brought about largely by the former PLP and the low confidence in the present one. This has been happening in a lot of Bermuda’s companies why do we make special time in the day to worry about BELCO?

  3. Sister Nancy says:

    I hope the workers fight was is right for the staff. Perhaps they should ask for a few directors to step down or retire. What’s good for the staff should go the same to the directors. Or better yet let the directors pay their board members funds to the ousted staff. Too much of this going on in the workplaces. Where do they think people are to find jobs???

    • sandgrownan says:

      So this piques my interest. Why do you think the workers are owed jobs? People are made redundant all the time, different companies, different professions, here and elsewhere.

      For whom do you think companies are run, for whose benefit, even utilities?

  4. lizard says:

    “best interest of Bermuda” – yeah right.

  5. Lotti - Less says:

    According to BELCO’s outage page there are currently 12 households in Saint David’s without power and from what I’m hearing will remain without until Monday morning. That doesn’t sound like the best interest of anyone. This union are a bunch of jokers and I can’t believe the clowns who they voted in as the executive. Not one union job has been affected. WOW!

  6. Alarm bell says:

    Hey. Word is that that those people near saint David’s battery got their power back on today because a unionized BELCO worker called in his coworkers to get it done. So much for work to rule. So they not getting paid or getting paid regular hours?